Montpellier non-b dna day

Thursday 9 June (8:30 – 17:00)

This event will focus on Non-B (non-canonical) DNA,‘the blessing and the curse’ of the genome. The research over the last decade clearly demonstrated that non-B DNA forms in living cells, is ubiquitous across the tree of life, and is important for multiple molecular processes. Non-B DNA forms transiently (at 13% of the human genome, for example!) and is involved in regulation of

replication, transcription, and translation. The program of the symposium consists of invited talks about the central and essential role of non-B DNA in organisms from viruses and plasmodium to plants and animals, including humans. Applications to human diseases, agriculture, and evolution will be covered.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

– If you have not heard about non-B DNA, we will have a tutorial for you

– If you would like to learn how non-B is related to your research (it most likely is)

– If you work on non-B DNA and would like to meet the non-B DNA community in Montpellier and

establish new collaborations

– If you want to learn something new and get a free lunch 

Programme and speakers

08:30 – 09:00 Welcome coffee

09:00 – 09:30 Tutorial: ‘What is non-B DNA?’

09:30 – 10:10 Keynote address:The regulatory role of G-quadruplexes at promoters: Focus on HIVSara Richter, University of Padova, Italy

10:10 – 10:30‘The role of G4s in mammalian replication origins’Marcel Mechali, Institute of Human Genetics (IGH), France

10:30 – 11:00 Coffee break

11:00 – 11:20‘G4, R-loops, and mutagenesis in plasma cell cancers’Laure Dutrieux, Institute of Human Genetics (IGH), France

11:20 – 11:40‘Non-B DNA and evolution’Kateryna Makova, Penn State University, USA & MAK’IT Fellow (JRU ‘ISEM’)

11:40 – 12:00‘G-quadruplexes as promoter elements that function by excluding nucleosomes’Jean-Christophe Andrau, Institute of Molecular Genetics of Montpellier (IGMM), France

12:00 – 12:20‘Discovery of widespread transcription initiation at microsatellites predictable by sequence-based deep neural network’Charles Lecellier, Institute of Molecular Genetics of Montpellier (IGMM) & Laboratory of Computer Science, Robotics and Microelectronics of Montpellier (LIRMM), France

12:20 – 13:20 Lunch break

13:20 – 13:40 ‘G4 sequences and DNA biology in malaria parasites’Jose-Juan Lopez-Rubio, Laboratory of Pathogen Host Interactions (LPHI), France

13:40 – 14:00 ‘Machine learning for the identification of low complexity regions involved in Transcription Factor binding’Laurent Brehelin, Laboratory of Computer Science, Robotics and Microelectronics of Montpellier (LIRMM), France

14:00 – 14:20 ‘G4-access and the role of G4s in imprinting’Cyril Esnault, Institute of Molecular Genetics of Montpellier (IGMM), France

14:20-14:50 Roundtable discussion: ‘The role of non-B DNA in evolution’

Moderator:Frédéric Brunet, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, France

Panelists:Nicolas Galtier, Institute of Evolutionary Sciences of Montpellier (ISEM), France

Nicolas Nègre, Diversity, Genomes and Insects-Microorganisms Interactions (DGIMI), France

Mark Stoneking, Biometry and Evolutionary Biology Laboratory (LBBE), Lyon, France

14:50 – 15:20 Coffee break

15:20 – 15:40‘Regulation of RNA G4s impacting mitochondrial function’ –Stéfania Millevoi, Cancer Research Centerof Toulouse (CRCT), France

15:40 – 16:00 ‘The functional role of RNA G-quadruplex in plant growth’Yiliang Ding, John Innes Centre, UK

16:00 – 16:20 ‘The relevance of G4s for DNA repair after UV irradiation’Katrin Paeschke, University Hospital Bonn, Germany

16:20 – 16:40 ‘Quadruplexes are everywhere’Jean-Louis Mergny, Polytechnic Institute of Paris, France

16:40 – 17:00Closing remarks